**6. Discussion**

#### **6.1 The characteristics of process quality**

The results of the observations with the ECERS-E showed that teachers displayed minimal instruction quality in literacy, numeracy and science and inadequate quality in diversity. The minimal quality of literacy, numeracy and science instructions is similar to the existing research in Australia [2], the UK [8], and Germany [25], as well as a meta-analysis [26] which indicated the average domain-specific quality between 1.13 and 3.9. The result is also in line with previous research in China that identified the minimal quality of teaching and interaction scores measured by the Chinese Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (CECERS) [27], an adapted quality tool based on ECERS-R. A similar overall pattern appears in Chinese preschools. Teachers were observed to conduct literacy, numeracy and science instructions in their classrooms, however, they did not explicitly highlight the learning content, such as rhyme, shapes and speculations. Their instructions were unable to scaffold children's understanding of the key concepts or encourage children to generalise what they have learned across a

#### *Exploring Instructional and Interactional Aspects of Process Quality in Preschools and Teachers'… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112519*

variety of contexts [8]. Despite the similarity, the domain-specific quality in diversity is relatively weak in Chinese kindergartens than in other contexts, which was also been revealed by previous research. This might be related to the Chinese culture which features collectivism and the importance of celebrating diversity is rarely recognised in the curriculum guideline. On the contrary, the ECERS-E Diversity subscale encourages teachers to draw children's attention to ethnic minority people in non-stereotypical roles and challenge gender and race stereotypes. Celebrating diversity in ethnicity, culture, gender, and ability could be further promoted in Chinese preschools.

In terms of the interaction quality measured by the SSTEW scale, teachers generally demonstrated a minimal quality of interaction. Furthermore, a similar pattern of the subscales was also observed regarding the subscales, that is, the interaction quality in Chinese preschools was minimal to good regarding building trust and confidence, supporting social-emotional well-being, extending children's language and communications, but lower regarding supporting learning and critical thinking and learning assessment, which is consistent with findings in other countries [2]. The results indicate that teachers provide a respectful and positive environment to encourage children's autonomy, feeling expressions, play, and communication, while they may miss opportunities to extend children's thinking and provide support for learning [12]. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the quality of assessing language and learning in Chinese preschools is relatively weaker. Teachers showed inadequate quality in learning assessment which requires teachers not only to understand the curriculum contents and student performance but also to tailor their teaching methods to children's specific needs. This might be related to the official curriculum guidelines. Specifically, the official Kindergarten Education Guideline (trial) [28] in China focused more on summative assessment to certify children's development. These stands of works may contribute to teachers' different teaching practices. The results suggest that teachers need to improve their skills of formative assessment to adapt their instruction and respond to children's thinking appropriately.

From the analysis of the mean scores of instruction and interaction quality, this study revealed that the overall interaction quality was relatively higher than instruction quality. It aligns with existing research which indicated that Chinese teachers provided high-quality classroom interactions rather than implementing learning activities [29]. These preliminary findings suggest the independencies between interaction and domain-specific instruction quality, as teachers may show moderate quality in providing positive and sensitive interactions, however, this does not mean they can translate content knowledge into quality instruction [30]. Therefore, either focusing on instruction or on instruction quality might risk over- or underestimating process quality. Further research with a larger number of classrooms from a range of different cultures and contexts could be conducted to explore their difference and interrelatedness before generalising the finding reported here.

#### **6.2 Teachers' perceived teaching difficulties and PD needs**

Consistent with the results of quality measurement, teachers also reported the challenges of instruction practice in science activities, scaffolding children's learning and child assessment. Specifically, they were struggling with initiating activities based on children's spontaneous interests, balancing teachers' directions and children's explorations during the science activities and providing high-quality questions and responses. These dilemmas might be related to the educational reforms in China which aim to replace traditional teacher-led approaches with child-centred pedagogy. For one thing, there is a lack of guidance on how to conduct a child-centred approach that makes it difficult for preschool teachers to encourage children's explorations, construct knowledge and scaffold children's learning. For the other thing, existing research revealed that implementing a child-centred approach can be challenging and problematic in China due to its relatively larger class size, exam-oriented education systems and parents' expectations of children's academic achievements [20]. Therefore, a balance between a teacher-centred approach and a child-centred approach has been advocated by recent research [31, 32]. This dual approach to teaching requires teachers to comprehend the viewpoints of children, provide opportunities for them to develop their own strategies and concepts and ensure that they assume complete responsibility for organizing the trajectory of their learning [33].

Teachers' previous PD experiences revealed various forms of PD, such as workshops, lectures, problem-based discussions, coaching and school visits. While their primary goal was to enhance their pedagogical content knowledge, classroom management skills and communication with parents, they found that lectures had limited effectiveness in influencing their actual teaching practices. Instead, they found PD programmes that integrated interactive activities, real teaching examples and opportunities for teacher engagement in discussions to be more impactful. This aligns with previous research that the theory-oriented content presented in lectures is challenging to apply in practice [34]. And the significance of modeling teaching techniques and receiving follow-up support was emphasised as crucial aspects of effective PD. Additionally, teachers expressed a strong desire to engage in PD programmes that specifically address authentic teaching problems, utilise interactive activities and modeling instruction, and offer constructive feedback for further improvement. Thus, it is essential to incorporate these elements into future PD programmes.

Teachers also reported difficulties in implementing newly acquired strategies from PD due to their busy schedules and uncertainty about their appropriateness in their own classrooms. To overcome these challenges, teachers may benefit from external support and perspectives to apply these strategies effectively. Follow-up school visits can serve as a helpful approach to assess progress and provide guidance. Research indicates that mentorship for teachers enhances their ability to reflect on and adapt their pedagogical practices, leading to advancements [35]. Critical dialogs with external experts, such as mentors, can aid in identifying and analysing teaching practice issues. Therefore, integrating mentorship programmes and opportunities for critical reflection can be an effective means to help teachers overcome obstacles in professional development and improve their instructional practices.

### **7. Conclusions**

This study utilised the ECERS-E to assess the instructional aspects of process quality and identified that teachers showed minimal instruction quality in literacy, mathematics, science, and inadequate quality in diversity. The findings underscore the need to improve teachers' understanding of race and gender equality and their ability to cater to individual needs. Additionally, the results from the SSTEW scale revealed minimal quality in supporting learning, critical thinking and social and emotional well-being, as well as inadequate quality in assessing children's learning. Accordingly, the PD programme should target these areas of inadequacy in teacher-child interaction. For instance, training should focus on fostering children's higher-order thinking skills and promoting their social-emotional development. Moreover, encouraging
